Household devices, commercial devices, and other controllable devices may store energy, such as thermal energy, electrical energy, potential energy, etc. As an example, water heaters and heating ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems may store thermal energy. Batteries and capacitors may store electrical energy. Additionally, many energy companies now offer price structures such that incentivize an energy user to consume energy at predetermined periods during a day. As such, those devices that operate consistently throughout the day may not operate as financially efficiently as possible.
As an example, a water heater typically stores energy in the form of hot water for usage at a later time. Because water heaters are often well insulated, it often does not matter when the water is heated, so long as there is sufficient hot water when the user needs to use the water. As a result, oftentimes the water in a water heater could be heated at any time of day.